Maysay, sadly enough I see where you're coming from. At the end of the day, I don't see why there is any surprise about black folks and HIV. It's not like we're out here making GREAT lifestyle choices in every other areas of our lives, and now we just happen to make poor choices when it comes to sex. Truth is, black folks are at the bottom of the list in almost every marker associated with lifestyle choice. It just happens to be an HIV conversation today. We could have a conversion tomorrow on Type II diabetes, and Bam, we're at the bottom of the list again. Next day, Obesity. Same thing. Next day, unwanted pregnancies. Same thing. Next day, financial health, and on and on and on. Yes, there are socio-economic factors that can't be discounted, but it's not like most black folks are out here making great choices in most areas of their lives. It is what it is.

Not connected to this thread at all but the bold just reminded of what the puppeteer for Kermit the frog said today or yesterday because of all the Kermit memes going around. He said black people just ruin everything...we find a way to take everything to it's lowest level. Now obviously he's a complete racist (and I know that's not what you're saying). But it just reminded me about how other people see us and how we see ourselves and what that means for our lives.

the lowest level remark touches on something I have heard before

why do some middle and upper class blacks kids tend to want to emulate the "lowest level" of our community

Same reasons that non-black well off kids go through a 'slumming' phase. The key difference is that the non-blacks grow out of the slumming phase and assume their role in the middle class/upper class world that they were originally from while the black kids tend to take it to an extreme and end up stuck in that slumming lifestyle and not be able to bounce back out of it.

Also, I just saw on IG that Ice-T's grandson supposedly shot and killed some other boy. If it is Little Ice's son, it seems that it is that same scenario - born of privilege, slumming and ends up doing something that will likely prohibit him from being able to bounce back into privileged life, maybe permanently.

Not connected to this thread at all but the bold just reminded of what the puppeteer for Kermit the frog said today or yesterday because of all the Kermit memes going around. He said black people just ruin everything...we find a way to take everything to it's lowest level. Now obviously he's a complete racist (and I know that's not what you're saying). But it just reminded me about how other people see us and how we see ourselves and what that means for our lives.

Totally random, but that Kermit the frog thing was actually a hoax. He never said those things. It was created for a satirical news site.

Also, google the term 'serial monogamy'. I remember reading a study when my friend was getting her Public Health Administration PhD and was working in AIDS prevention and the findings of the study showed that in the Black community, 'serial monogamy' is the norm. We meet, we now 'go together', after a few weeks/months we have unprotected sex like a married couple, have babies, break up then the next relationship is the same, then the next. No HIV testing is involved, no one know until they are pregnant and the doctor gives an HIV test or until they fall ill from full blown HIV.

A lot of medical doctors do not give an HIV test in the annual physical. You have to specifically request it. Then the doctor looks at you crazy and wants to know if you had sex with a gay man, had an orgy or high-risk sex or if you used intravenous drugs. Then after the doctor gives the test. That alone turns some people off and makes them say, well since I havent done those things, Im probably fine. Wrong. Very wrong.

THIS.Does it matter why i want it? just give me the gotdamn test . I really hate the hoopla around getting tested for STI's, it makes people feel judged and IA it may be a reason why people forgo getting tested.Putting me through the ringer b/c i give a damn about my health<<<<<<<<<<

It's really sad. I had a low white blood cell count one time and later found out that it was just a common condition that occurs in black people from time to time, is normal, harmless and corrects itself.I went to the hematologist and before he even drew any blood, he was like " I can look at you and see that you dont have AIDS or cancer". I was like, what?Then he said, "You dont use IV drugs, I dont think that you are having hi risk sex and you said that you just recently gained 20 lbs and if you had cancer you'd be losing weight" and he started laughing, saying, trust me, you will be fine. I was like, ok dude - just draw the gatdam blood.

I dont know what going through some doctors heads. If they arent shaming, they are making their own random judgements or just taking people's office visits lightly as hell with out the necessary decorum.

It's really sad. I had a low white blood cell count one time and later found out that it was just a common condition that occurs in black people from time to time, is normal, harmless and corrects itself.I went to the hematologist and before he even drew any blood, he was like " I can look at you and see that you dont have AIDS or cancer". I was like, what?Then he said, "You dont use IV drugs, I dont think that you are having hi risk sex and you said that you just recently gained 20 lbs and if you had cancer you'd be losing weight" and he started laughing, saying, trust me, you will be fine. I was like, ok dude - just draw the gatdam blood.

I dont know what going through some doctors heads. If they arent shaming, they are making their own random judgements or just taking people's office visits lightly as hell with out the necessary decorum.

Wow so unprofessional and bootleg. For someone in the medical field to even say they can look at you and tell you don't have Aids is baffling. Hiv doesn't look the same as it did in the 1980's. Even people with full blown Aids don't look like they have full blown Aids in 2014. What a weird ass doctor

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